Jocelyne Bodden has, as she phrased it, "a strong interest in local history and cultures."
She seems to be in the right place.
As the new manager of the Old Colorado City Branch Library, she is taking over a recently preserved, century-old Carnegie building in what was the region's first
major town in 1861. To top it off, Bodden expects to be spending about 10 percent of her time doubling as the manager of the smaller Ute Pass Branch Library, in an
area with a history of its own going back to the 1800s.
“Both libraries are loaded with local goodies,” she commented in an interview this week. “It was an extra bonus appeal to the position.”
It's a new plan by the Pikes Peak Library District, pairing up the two small libraries at the west end of its geographical area. “The hope is for more asset-sharing,”
Bodden said.
In Old Colorado City, the Wisconsin native has taken the place of Julianne Rist, who was transitioning out of the manager position for the past several months en
route to becoming full-time head at the district's Fountain branch. Rist had overseen the $1 million-plus Old Colorado City preservation campaign over the past
several years - including a six-month span in 2007 when the library was closed for major upgrades - and is still involved in some of the follow-up paperwork.
“I'm coming in at a good time,” Bodden quipped. “All the nitty-gritty work has been done.”
She will get in on some of the action, organizing the campaign's culminating Phase 3 project (parking lot lighting and front landscaping enhancements) in the months to
come.
Jean Harris, manager of the Monument branch, had served for the past two months as an interim, part-time manager at Old Colorado City.
Bodden's background includes a master's in library science from the University of Wisconsin, followed by a total of four years working in library systems in that state
and Montana. She became particularly involved in administrative areas during her two years in Montana, she noted.
In March, Bodden moved to Colorado Springs with her fiance - putting both closer to their families - and applied for the Old Colorado City position when it came
open. Another plus for her is Old Colorado City being a smaller branch in a large district. In all, “it's been a really good fit for me, and the staff has been great,” she
said.